Ozark

The show’s writing is sharp and smart; its acting is clever and curt. Toss in that casino wild card and you’ve got a season that’s just as remarkable as the first.

The echoes of "Breaking Bad" have grown louder in Ozark...While by no means a great show, the intense second season cements its status as an eminently binge-worthy one.

Ozark is conspicuously going about correcting past wrongs. As a result, it feels newly and brazenly confident, steamrolling through story at a pace that seems to reflect an active decision on the part of the show's writers to find that perfect sweet spot between the arty and smart, unpretentious pulp.

Ozark is still a compelling place to visit, but, like the Byrdes, I'm itching for an endgame. [20 Aug - 2 Sep 2018, p.11]

Most of what was good in season one remains good, most importantly Linney. ... But then there are a few excruciating characters and subplots this time around.

The tension ratchets up to be sure, but [FBI agent Roy Petty's (Jason Butler Harner)] story is one that pales in comparison to those of Marty or Ruth or even the Snells, and his arc through the second season all feels a bit familiar and predictable. But the bright spots shine bright, and the season ends on a high note that sets up a compelling third season should Netflix renew the drama series.

Season 2 lacks urgency beside the basic danger of the Byrdes’ continuing their work in order to escape it, and glimpses inside Marty and Wendy’s moral outlooks aren’t compelling enough to make up for the lack of action.

Ozark Season 2 isn’t great, but it is Good. Netflix’s engaging, popular series has some issues it needs to resolve.

The show’s second season provides little thrill of discovery, no amplification of what themes it possesses, and barely any real movement outside the hermetic world the Byrdes share.

Charlotte and Jonah don't get enough screen time, which is the shame as they are the main reasons to tune into Ozark, which is otherwise not worth the commitment.

The illusion of depth without any actual there there is an Ozark specialty. By the end of season two, it’s dragged itself to exactly where you’d think it would go, and racked up quite a body count (also proving it hasn’t really learned the lessons of the shows that came before it, which did their best to hold off on killing major characters). But none of it feels as if it has any meaning beyond getting from the end of season one to the start of season three. It’s a bridge to nowhere that keeps building itself right in front of you.

Despite everything Linney and Bateman bring to the series, the real problem is that, in the end, I don’t really care what happens to this extremely flawed husband and wife.